Barometric Pressure
TEACHER NOTES
MIDDLE GRADES SCIENCE NSPIRED
Science Objectives

Students will examine and describe parts of a hurricane.

Students will discover how barometric pressure changes in
relation to a hurricane.
Vocabulary
•
•
barometric pressure
millibars
•
•
eye of a hurricane
eyewall
Tech Tips:
About the Lesson



This activity includes class
This lesson is a simulation of barometric pressure measured
captures taken from the TI-
across different points in relation to Hurricane Katrina. This
Nspire CX handheld. It is also
provides an opportunity for students to gather data and explore
appropriate for use with the TI-
parts of a hurricane and how barometric pressure changes in
Nspire family of products
relation to the hurricane.
including TI-Nspire software
As a result, students will:
and TI-Nspire App. Slight



Measure the distance of the eye of Hurricane Katrina from the
variations to these directions
coast and measure the diameter of the hurricane.
may be required if using other
Collect data on barometric pressure across different points of
technologies besides the
an aerial view of Hurricane Katrina.
handheld.
Use collected data to classify Hurricane Katrina on the

Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale.
Watch for additional Tech Tips
throughout the activity for the
specific technology you are
TI-Nspire™ Navigator™
using.


Send out the Barometric_Pressure_in_Hurricane_Katrina.tns file.

Monitor student progress using Class Capture.
http://education.ti.com/

Use Live Presenter to spotlight student answers.
calculators/pd/US/Online-
Access free tutorials at
Learning/Tutorials
Activity Materials

Compatible TI Technologies:
TI-Nspire™ Apps for iPad®,
TI-Nspire™ CX Handhelds,
TI-Nspire™ Software
Lesson Materials:
Student Activity
 Barometric_Pressure_in_
Hurricane_Katrina_Student.doc
 Barometric_Pressure_in_
Hurricane_Katrina_Student.pdf
TI-Nspire document
 Barometric_Pressure_in_
Hurricane_Katrina.tns
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Barometric Pressure
TEACHER NOTES
MIDDLE GRADES SCIENCE NSPIRED
Discussion Points and Possible Answers
Move to pages 1.2.
Have students read the background information for the activity on their
student activity sheets and/or on their devices.
Part 1: Exploring Barometric Pressure and Parts of a Hurricane
In this part of the lesson students explore barometric pressure and parts of a hurricane.
Move to page 1.3.
Have students read the directions for the simulation. Make sure students note where the barometer is
located on the screen.
1. Students will be moving the cursor across the screen using the left
 and  right arrows. Make sure students can see that the cursor
changes from an arrow å to + (a plus sign) when it is on an area of
the screen where data is available. Make sure students can observe
that the barometer level can move up and down depending on
where the cursor is located. They are not collecting data at this time.
Tech Tip: To observe the barometer levels, students should press
their finger to the screen and drag it across the hurricane.
TI-Nspire Navigator Opportunities
Allow students to volunteer to be the Live Presenter and demonstrate areas on the screen where the
cursor changes.
Students should have an intuitive understanding that the barometric pressure rises and falls depending on
where the cursor is located on the screen. From their observations, students should conclude that the
barometric pressure does not rise and fall randomly, but in a pattern.
Q1.
Describe what happens to the barometer as you move the cursor across the screen.
Answer: The barometer changed levels as the cursor was dragged across the screen from left to
right. It started at a high level, then dropped as it got closer to the center of the hurricane, then it
rose again.
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Barometric Pressure
TEACHER NOTES
MIDDLE GRADES SCIENCE NSPIRED
2. Allow students time to look at the diagram to the right
showing the structure of a hurricane. Make sure
students understand where the land, coast, and the
eye of a hurricane are located on the screen.
[http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/hurricanes/]
3. Students will be selecting areas of the screen to collect data
points. Students need to move the cursor to the eye of the
hurricane and select it using a. Then, they should move
the cursor to the edge of the coast and select it.
Tech Tip: To record data points, have students lift their fingers from the
screen when the barometer changes.
Move to page 1.4.
4. Data will vary from student to student and is dependent on
where they placed their cursor. All students should see the
same general patterns.
Q2. Complete the table shown below.
Sample answer:
Location of
Distance (km) From
Data Point
Unknown Location
Eye of Hurricane
Coast
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Barometric Pressure
TEACHER NOTES
MIDDLE GRADES SCIENCE NSPIRED
Q3. True or False: Based on your data, the eye of Hurricane Katrina is more than 1,500 kilometers away
from the coast.
Answer: False
5. At any point, students can select d to remove data points that have previously been placed. This
will also clear the spreadsheet and the scatter plot on pages 1.5 and 1.6.
Tech Tip: To clear data points, have students select
> Hurricane
Katrina > Erase Measurements.
Q4.
Notice that Hurricane Katrina has a circular shape. Move the cursor and collect two data points at
the outer edges of the hurricane to find its diameter. Complete the table shown below.
Sample answer:
Q5.
Location of
Distance (km) From
Data Point
Unknown Location
Right Side
1556.601
Left Side
754.088
Based on your data, what is the approximate diameter of Hurricane Katrina?
A. 60 kilometers
B. 550 kilometers
C. 800 kilometers
D. 1250 kilometers
Answer: C
Part 2: Analyzing Barometric Pressure
6. Make sure to remind students that the barometer changes as the
cursor is moved across the screen. Students will be collecting data
from 12 points of the screen image. Students may have an intuitive
understanding that barometric pressure is lowest in the central area
of the hurricane, but now they will collect data to demonstrate this.
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Barometric Pressure
TEACHER NOTES
MIDDLE GRADES SCIENCE NSPIRED
7. Students will be collecting collect data starting from inland and moving east. Make sure they use a
systematic approach, spacing data points as evenly as possible. Also make sure they collect data from
key points including the coast, the outer edges of the hurricane, and the eye of the hurricane.
Allow students time to analyze the line graph on page 1.6 resulting from the data collected. If they did
not collect a key data point, allow them to clear their data and start over. Allow students time to read
the information on the student activity sheet about how hurricanes form. Review any parts that the
students do not understand.
Q6.
Go to page 1.4 that shows the spreadsheet with data you collected. Copy your data from the
spreadsheet to complete the table shown below.
Sample answer:
Data Point
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Distance
(km)
76.1006
221.384
408.176
574.214
726.415
830.139
961.635
1093.08
1224.53
1335.22
1487.42
1667.3
Barometric
Pressure (mb)
1007
1001
996
986
968
950
941
902
919
930
981
994
Move to page 1.5.
Q7.
Look at the line graph. Describe the line graph. Where is
barometric pressure highest on the graph? Where is barometric
pressure lowest on the graph? In what part of the hurricane is
barometric pressure lowest?
Answer: The line graph is a V-shape. Barometric pressure is
highest at the beginning and the end of the graph. Barometric
pressure is lowest in the middle of the graph. Barometric
pressure is lowest in the eye of the hurricane.
Teacher Tip: Student graphs will vary based on data.
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Barometric Pressure
TEACHER NOTES
MIDDLE GRADES SCIENCE NSPIRED
How do hurricanes work?
Allow students time to read the information about how hurricanes work on the student activity sheet. Go
over any parts that the students do not understand.
Q8.
What causes strong winds in a hurricane?
Answer: Winds are the result of high pressure air rushing into the area of low pressure at the center
of the hurricane.
Q9.
Based on your data, what was the barometric pressure in the eye of Hurricane Katrina?
Sample answer: 902 mb
Q10. Suppose the eye of Hurricane X had a barometric pressure of 975 millibars. Which hurricane was
more intense? Why?
Sample answer: Hurricane Katrina was more intense because its eye had a lower barometric
pressure.
Part 3: Classifying a Hurricane
From parts 1 and 2, students should now have a formal understanding
of how barometric pressure is related to hurricanes. Central pressure is
the pressure in the eye of the hurricane. Students should understand
that the lower the central pressure of a hurricane, the more intense it is.
Go over the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale. Explain any terms students
do not understand.
Q11. Use the data you found in Question 9 for the central pressure of Hurricane Katrina to classify it on
the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale. What category was Hurricane Katrina? Explain.
Answer: Hurricane Katrina was category 5 because it had a central air pressure of less than
980 mb.
Q12. Based on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale, what category is Hurricane X?
Answer: Hurricane X was category 2 because it had a central air pressure between 965 and
979 mb.
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Barometric Pressure
TEACHER NOTES
MIDDLE GRADES SCIENCE NSPIRED
Q13. Based on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale, did Hurricane X cause more or less damage than
Hurricane Katrina? Explain.
Answer: Hurricane Katrina caused more damage than Hurricane X because a category 5 hurricane
causes catastrophic damage, but a category 2 hurricane causes moderate damage.
TI-Nspire Navigator Opportunities
Use Quick Poll to check for understanding during the course of the activity.
Wrap Up
When students are finished with the activity, pull back the .tns file using TI-Nspire Navigator. Save
grades to Portfolio. Discuss activity questions using Slide Show.
Assessment

Analysis questions are written into the student worksheet.
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